People's Pale
People's Brewing Company

 

(Ahhh... I messed up when I classified it. It's a regular APA, not a pale wheat.)

Growler poured fresh at the brewery and consumed about 26 hours later.

Anyone ever ask you how strong you are? Or--check that... Remember when you were little, and you and your buddies compared who was stronger? Odds are you did so by pulling up your sleeves and flexing your biceps. Your biceps, for purposes of perceived strength, are your muscles. Yes, you have other muscles. Yes, bicep size really isn't a good indicator of strength. But still, that's what you did. That's the agreed upon standard.

And so it is with American breweries and their flagship pales (sometimes American, sometimes Indian). People's perceptions of Surly depends on their reaction to Furious, even though Bender is, for my money, a better indicator of the the playfulness and creativity that make Surly what they are. Same goes for FFF and Alpha King, Town Hall and Masala, Sierra Nevada and their pale, and, well, I think you get the point.

So here it is, then: my new hometown's new brewery's most importantist beer, perceptions-wise. And--and it's good!

The thing with pales is that nowadays everyone's got one and every one of them is supposed to follow the same basic script. I had a guy recently tell me that Bells' PA was "awful" because it didn't do what a pale should. So, brewers can't get too playful with what will be regarded as their flagships. Otherwise the neophytes will complain.

Within these confines, People's exists admirably. The aroma is green and bready, but not at all overwhelming. The hop profile is varied and lively, mostly west coast, and the sharp, lightly sweet malt does an wonderful job of balancing things out. There's nothing here that will blow you away, nor are any exceptional risks taken, but it's an excellently brewed beer for its style.